Road Trip 2020 - Down South

Down South

February 11 - 29, 2020

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park was one of our favorite finds in the South. 

Some of you might be surprised to hear this Downeast Maine girl say I’ve got the South in my soul. My father was a career Navy man, and our family moved every year or two. I attended thirteen different schools before graduating from high school. I was always the new girl in class. Moving so often as a child is one of the reasons I like to travel today. I’m also not shy about striking up a conversation with a stranger. When I was in the fourth grade, we moved from Emmons Street on the Navy base in Philadelphia to Stancil Street in Virginia Beach. I stayed in Virginia for eight years, the longest I had ever lived in the same place. During those years, I learned to love Southern barbecue pork topped with coleslaw, shrimp and grits, and to say, “Hey, y’all!” or sometimes just, “Hey!”

The first leg of our tour through the South.

Roger also has Southern roots in his blood. His mother was born in Mississippi and, like many in her family, attended Ole Miss in Oxford. Roger’s father was from Missouri but also attended Ole Miss, where his parents met. Although Roger was born and grew up in California, his family made annual summer trips to Mississippi and spent these vacations visiting relatives in and around Calhoun County.

We didn’t know at the time that this would be one of our last #vanlife adventures for a while. I can’t pinpoint when I first heard about the coronavirus and COVID-19. People were starting to talk about it by the time we arrived in the South, but the threat of coronavirus spreading worldwide did nothing to change our travel plans. We still greeted friends and family with hugs and kisses. On February 28, I shared a Facebook post about washing your hands to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As I write this months later, we all seemed a little naive about it back then, but how could we have known differently?

Louisiana

February 11, 2020

We woke up in Texas and went to sleep in Mississippi. We drove straight through Louisiana in the rain and stopped only to eat, go to the bathroom, and find a liquor store. We knew Calhoun County, Mississippi, is a dry county, and we wanted to be well-stocked.

We wanted to find the liquor store before we crossed into Mississippi and before it got dark. After lunch, I used Google maps to locate the nearest liquor store. We pulled into the empty parking lot. It was still raining, but at least it’s a warm rain. Inside, the store was like Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard -- bare -- empty of people and empty of stock. I looked around for a salesperson and scanned the coolers and the shelves taking a quick inventory -- bottles of soda and other non-alcoholic drinks, chips, and a small collection of wine in a locked glass cabinet in the middle of the aisle.

“Hello. Can I help you?” I heard a pipsqueak voice from behind the counter. I had to walk up to the counter and peer around to the other side of the cash register to see a petite woman who looked older than she probably was sitting on a stool behind the counter.

“Is this a liquor store?” I asked.

“Used to be,” she said. “Will be again when we get our license back.”

Roger and I looked at each with that things-that-make-you-go-hmmm look. We thanked her and asked her if she knew where we could find a liquor store. She said she didn’t know. We said thank you again and left.

Not to waste our stop, I went into the discount bread store next door and bought several bags of bagels and English muffins and loaves of bread.

Using Google Maps again, we found another liquor store several miles down the road. It was a couple of turns off the main highway. We saw cars pulling in and pulling out and lined up for the drive-through service, so we knew we were in luck this time.

The store kept what Roger wanted behind the counter.

“What do you got for cheap rum?” Roger asked. The man behind the counter brought out a few bottles to show Roger as if he was curating precious diamonds on 5th Avenue. Roger considered each one.

“What about gin?” Roger asked, and the store clerk returned the rum to the shelves and presented Roger with a selection of gin to consider.

I chose a few bottles of wine from a floor display while Roger selected the hard stuff. When we left, it was getting dark and raining still. We didn’t like arriving at our destination in the dark, but we had our booze, so the stop was worth it.

We crossed the Mississippi River and officially arrived “Back East”. The rain continued causing flooding and giant mud puddles in every parking lot. The rain’s not so bad but as anyone who has spent time in the south knows that it’s the mud that can be so miserable.

We spent one night at an RV park in Vicksburg.

We stayed overnight at an RV park in Vicksburg. We regretted not having time to explore the historic Civil War area, but we will return someday with that purpose in mind. A few years earlier, we had visited the Sunken Road in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and honored the memory of the many lives lost and terrible suffering caused by the Civil War. To honor these sacred grounds properly would require a respectable amount of time, and we were just passing through on this day.

Mississippi
February 12-17, 2020

Roger’s mother was born in Vardaman, Mississippi, and grew up in nearby Bruce. Roger’s sister, who also lives in Juneau, bought their grandmother’s old house a few years earlier. We met her there and slept in the van in the driveway. On February 15, we met the cousins and other relatives at a family reunion.

One of the buildings in downtown Vardaman, Mississippi.

Vardaman is known as the Sweet Potato Capital of the World. The surrounding landscape is farmland -- during our visit, flooded farmlands. One cousin described the difficulty in growing corn in the last few years. The ground had been too wet to plant on time. Corn has a limited window of time for planting.

As we drove around the county visiting the many family historical sights, including several cemeteries, we passed flooded field after flooded field. You’d think they were lakes were it not for the cotton stalks poking through the water like remnants of long ago pilings.

To me, every road looked the same. The land is flat, except for a sloping hill here and there. Every community had several baptist churches, a methodist church, and a Dollar Store -- was it Dollar General? If you wanted to go to a big store or a restaurant, you drove to Tupelo. (Birthplace of Elvis Presley. Had to get that it.)

Downtown Vardaman has a bakery, Sweet Potato Sweets, that sells sweet potato treats and boxes of newly harvested sweet potatoes. We purchased a box of sweet potatoes, a pie, and a few cookies to take with us on our trip.

A farmer unloads boxes of sweet potatoes at Sweet Potato Sweets.

Vardaman also has a laundromat, so I took advantage of it on a day we had nothing else planned. The laundromat was in rough shape. I have used many laundromats in my life, so I feel qualified to make that judgment. The place was mostly dirty. Every corner and crevice was filled with the red mud of Mississippi. The insides of the washing machines and dryers looked OK, so I took my chances and started a couple of big loads. When it came time to dry, a local woman told me to look for the “X” scratched onto the door of the dryers. “They’re the bad ones. Here, this one is good.” And she showed me where “OK” was scratched onto the door of a dryer.

During harvest, migrant workers from South America, mostly single young men, wash their red mud-covered work clothes at this laundromat. Some people say the red mud of Mississippi is what makes the sweet potatoes so good. Some of the migrant workers who first arrived as part of the H2A and H2B visa programs for foreign workers have decided to make Vardaman their home. From a 2012 news article: “Vardaman’s farms, packing plants and furniture factories 150 miles northeast of Jackson have brought a small migratory wave to the green rolling hills and expansive fields over the past two decades.” (https://www.djournal.com/news/vardaman-apos-s-immigrants-pray-bill-will-die/article_c12214dc-b04a-5dc1-b28d-9a81ef33758a.html

NOTE: In 2012, the Mississippi immigration enforcement bill known as HB-488 did not pass. Read more about it here: http://loyno.edu/jsri/sites/loyno.edu.jsri/files/Mississippi%20Rejects%20Immigration%20Enforcement%20Bill.pdf)

For the reunion, the family rented a venue repurposed from a historic building now called The Porch in downtown Vardaman. The inside was rustic, country-charm, and perfect for this gathering of more than 60 relatives. The Porch is managed by the city and is a popular spot for parties, receptions, and reunions.

Celebrating with a family reunion in Vardaman, Mississippi.

Huntsville, Alabama

February 18-19, 2020

We woke the next morning to a loud thunder and lightning storm. We reluctantly left the safety and comfort of Vardaman and drove from to Hunstville, Alabama, in the pouring rain, where we visited one of Roger’s childhood friends.

We drove through heavy rain through much of the South.

According to Forbes, Huntsville is the number one city for engineers with more engineers per capita (60.771) than anywhere else in the country. Redstone Arsenal and The Marshall Space Flight Center helped transform Huntsville to The Rocket City, attracting some of the most educated and well-paid engineers in the world.

Harrison Brothers Hardware is a popular stop in Huntsville.

During our stay, our hosts treated us to a tour of downtown’s historic homes and a visit to the iconic Harrison Brothers Hardware. Established in 1894, the store now features made-in-America arts, crafts, toys, food, books, and other gift items. The old building retains many of its original fixtures and is fun to walk through.  Roger enjoyed visiting the store as it reminded him of his grandad’s old hardware store in Bruce, Miss., where he enjoyed hanging out as a kid. We also enjoyed a few beers at  Old Town Beer Exchange, lunch at Walton’s Southern Table, and an unforgettable meal at the Purveyor.

Atlanta, Georgia

February 18-19, 2020

We drove north out of Huntsville via Scottsville through Chattanooga on the advice of our Huntsville friends. They advised that it may seem indirect, but it would be quicker. We then drove I-75 south to Atlanta in the pouring rain most of the way, but by the time we arrived in Atlanta, the rain had finally relented.

We found spring in Atlanta, Georgia.

In Atlanta, we visited one of my dearest friends from junior high school in Virginia Beach. While there, another high school friend from Virginia Beach joined us for dinner at City Tap. After catching up, we spent the rest of the time exploring Atlanta.

We started the next day by filling our bellies, and my friend recommended the perfect place, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. I get hungry just thinking about it. From its website, “What Chef VanTrece continues to serve is the concept of global soul food; the soul food of different cultures around the globe as she has experienced them.”

The tombs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

Next, we visited the Martin Luther King National Historical Park. The timeline exhibit inside the visitor center was emotionally moving. Actual news footage from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s played, including video footage of hateful white people who opposed desegregation. Watching the story unfold turned my stomach and left me feeling uncomfortable, as it should. I have great respect for Martin Luther King, Jr., and all the people who worked with him to demand civil rights and justice for Black people. I also felt shame for what this country was and, in so many ways, still is. The United States has made progress living up to the promises of the Pledge of Allegiance. Still, more progress needs to happen before we have freedom and justice for all.

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Tallahassee

February 22, 2020

We left the big city of Atlanta and soon found ourselves driving through the rural farmland of southern Georgia and northern Florida. The countryside was full of tree farms and horse farms. We spent the night with a retired Alaska Fish & Game friend of Roger’s and his wife. They had recently bought a house in Havana, a quaint town with several antique shops about a half-hour drive north of Tallahassee.

Parked in our friend's driveway.

Our friends gave us a quick driving tour through the state capital, Tallahassee, with a stop at the local Moose Lodge 1075, where they are members. It’s always fun to see what other Moose Lodges look like. This one was much bigger than the Juneau Lodge, with a large event room for BINGO and other special events. On the wall was an impressive list of how much money the lodge had raised for many community charities. That evening, we enjoyed a delicious home-cooked steak dinner.

Before hitting the road the next day, we enjoyed a big breakfast at Wahoo Seafood and Grill, where I gorged on a fried chicken benedict. At last, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining again. This is why people go to Florida in the wintertime.

The Villages, Lady of the Lake, Florida

February 23-29, 2020

We parked the van alongside the house while visiting family in The Villages. The Villages is an age-restricted community located in central Florida. The Villages comprise of 17 designated Community Development Districts and is governed by a board of supervisors made up of elected landowners. Some people call it Disneyland for grown-ups.

We bring our own guest room while visiting family.

The communities offer every hobby and recreational activity you can think of. My uncle plays accordion in the Butterbean Band, my aunt is part of a mahjong group, my step-mother is in a crocheting club, and her roommate plays softball. The Villages Daily Sun online newspaper has a 128-page pdf file of club listings.

Each village has its town square, except they are not real towns. The properties are all privately owned and managed. The town squares are surrounded by shops, bars, and restaurants, and live outdoor music every evening. 

The Villages provide plenty of opportunities to play golf.

The Villages are full of retired people who threw away their snow shovels and left the cold north behind for the easy life. On the surface, I could see the attraction. Every neighborhood has its own pool. Sometimes two, one for adults only and one for families. Golfers have their pick of championship and executive courses, driving ranges, and practice putting greens.

After spending a few days in The Villages, I couldn’t help but notice the whiteness of the population. I saw few people of color. I saw more Trump yard signs and bumper stickers than black or brown people. The fact that The Villages is a Republican stronghold should come at no surprise since, according to The Washington Post, its founder, H. Gary Morse, donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates and committees before his death in 2014. 

According to the same article, one Villager made national news with daily, two-hour, Trump protests. He attaches anti-Trump signs to his golf cart, parks in busy areas. His display attracted some supportive responses, but mostly opposition and threats.

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/08/trump-protest-the-villages-golf-cart/)

During our stay in The Villages, we enjoyed a couple of rounds of golf on executive courses, including one nine-hole round on the Nancy Lopez Legacy course, designed by the LPGA Hall of Famer. The Villages boast 40, nine-hole courses, mostly par three and four. During one game, we visited a large tree that is home to a nesting Great Horned Owl, whose owlet hatched shortly after our visit. 

A great horned owl nests in a tree near the golf course.

We were enjoying a break from the rain since Atlanta. Still, we experienced a downpour one afternoon as we drove to The Eisenhower Regional Recreation Center. The center displays military and political memorabilia throughout several rooms and hallways. In a matter of minutes, streets, intersections, and parking lots in The Villages flooded. Oh, how I missed the rain jacket I had left at the Austin campground.

We enjoyed a few meals out during our time in The Villages, including a group dinner at Katie Belle’s Dining and Entertainment Club* that offers performances of popular musicals during dinner. On another night, we drove to Micanopy and met Roger’s cousin and got a wonderful pizza at Blue Highway Pizza, known for its hand-crafted dough and house-made sauces.

Golfing is a fun part of our vanlife lifestyle.

It’s always fun to see new places and reconnect with family we don’t see often. Before we knew it, our week in the Florida sunshine was over and we left the Villages for the historic city of Savannah, Georgia, where would also leave the van behind for two nights in a classic, Victorian-era, Southern-style bed and breakfast. Savannah will get its own article. Stay tuned!

*Katie Belle's has since shut down, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.